


Hardships

by radkoko



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Canon Compliant, Childhood Memories, Deleted Scenes, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-16
Updated: 2015-08-16
Packaged: 2018-04-15 01:57:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4588689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/radkoko/pseuds/radkoko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After coming to the mansion, Erik finds that Charles is not as happy with the idea of being back in his childhood home as he led them to believe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hardships

Erik knocked at the grand double doors. The idea that he would knock and not just let himself in was unusual, but this was Charles' home not another lead towards his mother's killer.

When he didn't get a response, Erik wanted to force his way in. Resisting the urge, he knocked again on the door, hearing a faint call from inside. Without listening to the words he let himself in, searching the large room for Charles' familiar figure.

Huddled on the couch, the man looked torn. Erik stopped in his tracks seeing Charles, legs clenched tight to his chest, hair looking as if his hand had run through it far too many times, and a wet sheen on his cheeks.

"I didn't invite you in..." The usual light lilt was gone from Charles' voice, which only made him seem more prone.

"I-" Erik started, but was cut off by the look in Charles' eyes.

"Don't blame yourself Erik...I knew you wouldn't leave." The broken man turned his face away from Erik, burying it between the knees at his chest.

_What happened?_ Erik's question going unspoken, but still heard.

"This house...it doesn't have pleasant memories...you are not the only one with a tragic past." The last words bit at Erik. Just earlier today he had taunted Charles that he didn't understand how he grew up in such hardship. They seem like such foolish words now, clearly Charles had his own ghosts.

"I didn't mean to," Erik's words were hardly a comfort, but he wanted Charles to believe him.

_I know..._ The words filtered through his mind, a wave of emotions came with them, understanding, but pained.

"Tell me about it..." _You know everything about me._ He sat down on the opposite end of the couch giving Charles his space.

Charles turned to look at him again, biting his lip with words unspoken. It wasn't until fingers reached for Charles' temples that Erik realized what the hesitation was for.

_I can't talk about it,_ the words were quiet, but accompanied by images.

_A small child at leg of a woman, bright blue eyes with unshed tears told Erik who it was. The boy was pulled off the leg of the woman and forced to stand up straight, a small smack to his cheek to stop the tears, only serving to make them fall. "Why can you not behave properly, Charles." The next moment appeared on the tail of the first, Charles not looking much older from the first memory. "You remember Mr. Marko." A dangerous looking man stood to the side of the woman from the last memory, assumedly Charles' mother. Charles betrayed no emotion as he held a hand out to shake. "He will be your new step-father. Treat him and his son well in our house." Moments blurred past Erik's mind. Feelings of betrayal as he watched his mother slip into her drunken stupor that never seemed to go away. Hits that came with the message that they would make him stronger. There was a bright memory of the night he met Raven in the kitchen, an actual friend to help him through his life. He hid her away from his family, to protect her from what they had done to him. The next memories came in quick succession his mother's death, and a fight with his step-brother Cain, causing the accident that killed Kurt Marko. Erik found that the emotions around this moment were confused, hating the man that had torn apart his family, but it had also been a moment of caring for Charles and Cain or they might have died in his stead. Soon after, Cain disappeared from the mansion leaving Charles and Raven to themselves at a far too young age._  

It was no wonder Charles acted as if he had raised Raven.

Charles pulled the fingers away from his temple with a large sigh, "I won't compare our situations, Erik, but I meant it, in more ways than one, when I said you weren't alone."

Erik didn't have anything to say to Charles. Their situations had some parallels of pain, but nothing to say that one could compare them. He let the silence fill the antiqued room, knick-knacks that Erik wondered about, were they comforts to Charles or just bad memories. Eyes falling to the chessboard that was left from their game the night before.

"I would love to play…" Charles said before Erik had the chance to ask, "Sorry…sorry." Charles ran his fingers through his already mussed hair. Erik waved his hand towards the board letting the piece reset themselves to their starting positions, ready for someone to make the first move. Hands moving on their own, Erik started to run fingers through Charles' hair, not doing much to right it, but he remembered the gesture was comforting when his mother had done it for him.

Charles leaned into the touch, but stayed squarely on his side of the couch. "I've always had terrible control when I think about those times…I am sorry that I crossed your request to stay out…" Erik grimaced, it hadn't been a request, but leave it to Charles to put it in such a way.

"I understand," Erik replied knowing he too often relied on anger to boost his powers, and without it he didn't have to control for anything larger than his head.

Erik watched Charles sit forward on the couch and take the first move. Assessing the move, Erik moved the metallic pawn forward to counter Charles. They took each move with purpose forcing Erik to move to the seat across from Charles so that he could see the board from the proper angle. No matter the path he chose it seemed as if Charles knew every little move.

"I'm ruining it aren't I?" The other man looked at him with an apologetic, but knowing smile.

Erik looked at him starting to wonder if he should be annoyed or amazed.

"Why would I fascinate you?" Charles asked, once again plucking the thoughts from his head without trying.

"You… You don't even realize the extent of your powers, Charles," Erik explained, continuing to play the game, "When you use them you're hardly scratching the surface of what you have the potential for."

Charles chuckled at him, "Isn't that what I've been saying to you?"

"Maybe you should take your own advice."

Erik moved his Queen, taking the Rook from Charles, knowing that it left his King open for check, but he never would have been able to win this game with Charles knowing his moves before he did.

_Checkmate,_ Charles whispered to him, "You let me win."

"No, you used your mutation to win."

"I am sorry."

"Don't be," Erik grinned, moving to sit on the couch with Charles. "We shouldn't have to hide who we are, especially amongst ourselves." Erik's hand caressed the back of Charles' head, "Just warn me next time, I could use the practice against telepathy."

Charles laughed a little louder, his normal smile gracing his face once again. "I will do my best."

Erik guided Charles' head to his shoulder and leaned back against the couch.

They sat quiet for a few minutes, letting the moment settle. "I'm sorry that I brought up bad memories, it was callus."

"You don't have to apologize, Erik. You didn’t know... but thank you." Charles relaxed into Erik's hold, letting the silence take over again.

Erik waited, letting Charles rest on his shoulder until his breath leveled out indicating that he'd fallen asleep. Craning his neck to look at the mess of hair that was Charles, Erik leaned over to kiss the top of his head. He hated the look Charles had on his face when he'd found him earlier, and Erik only hoped it was something he'd never have to see again.

**Author's Note:**

> I watched First Class for the first time since starting to write this couple, and found the comment from Erik brought up was an interesting dynamic with the comic background of Charles.


End file.
